There’s no doubt that with the new XJ, Jaguar decided to leave behind its decades old approach of building the same old vehicle in order to take on the luxury saloons of Germany with something fresh and new that would appeal to less traditional Jag customers. Taking that approach to the next level is the XJ75 Concept, presented today on the Concept Lawn at Pebble Beach during the annual Concours d’Elegance.

With an aggressive aero kit, blacked out grille, tailpipes, wheels and even Jag emblems, the exterior still isn’t as surprising as the interior. Much like the outward appearance, the cabin takes a black and white approach with seriously high-grade materials and quilted black Alcantara seats that look straight out of a Lamborghini. This youthful approach really meshes well with the Jag’s high-tech features.

Jag is using this concept to test the waters and see if the new group of customers would be interested in something a bit more wild and a bit more expensive. A Jag representative on hand told us that so far the new Jag approach is working with first month sales of the new XJ in the U.S. exceeding those of the past XJ for the previous 12 months! Better yet for Jag, 80 percent of those customers are new to the brand.

Are you a current or prospective Jag customer? Would you buy this car? Tell us what you think by leaving a comment.

GALLERY: Jaguar XJ75 Concept

In 1965, the late Jim Clark, piloted his Lotus Ford 38/1 to victory in the Indianapolis 500 on May 30th, crossing the line ahead of Rufus ‘Parnelli’ Jones and Mario Andretti. What was significant was the fact that Clark was a British driver, who beat out local talent and also, that his primary gig at the time was driving for Lotus in the Formula 1 World Championship. The 1965 Indy 500 also marked the birth of the ‘modern’ pit crew, with the Wood Brothers NASCAR team brought in to crew for Lotus at the event.

Twelve years after it’s prime time victory, the winning Lotus was acquired by the Henry Ford Museum where it has remained ever since. In 2009, the Ford V8 was removed from the chassis and sent to Race Car Restorations for a complete overhaul, while the chassis was restored by Clive Chapman (son of Lotus founder Colin) and his crew at Classic Team Lotus. The 38/1 was brought to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, where it ran under its own power for the first time since 1965 – legendary racer and three time F1 champion  Sir Jackie Stewart taking the wheel, along with Lord March.

More recently, the historically significant Lotus has been invited to the 201o Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance ,where at the exclusive Club XIX it will be unveiled by three time Indy 500 winners Bobby Unser and Johnny Rutherford. Following its debut at Pebble Beach, the car will form part of a ‘Racing in America’ exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, which highlights the history and innovation of motorsport in the United States. The Lotus made a significant impact on racing in this country, because its lightweight construction and mid-engined configuration forever changed the design and engineering of single seat, open wheel race cars in North America, resulting in a configuration that’s still adopted as the standard today. For more information on this fascinating car and the Henry Ford, visit the link below.

[Source: The Henry Ford]

At this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Jaguar is celebrating its 75th anniversary as an automaker and what better way to blow out the candles than with the exhaust gases from a 510-hp XKR. Based on the European Speed Pack model, the XKR175 makes the 510-hp (as well as 461 ft-lbs of torque) from a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine. It also gets a special aero kit, larger 20-inch wheels and tires and some plus-sized brakes.

All models will come in Ultimate Black paint with a Warm Charcoal interior with Cranberry stitching and Piano Black wood accents. Plus, there are the obligatory “XKR175 – x of 175″ door sill plates.

Pricing for this collectors item is set at $104,500 (including destination charge) and as you might expect, just 175 models will be built. Jag has also announced an additional 15 models for Canada.

We’ll be sure to bring you more photos of the car from the Pebble Beach Concours this weekend.

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Having just arrived in Monterey, the AutoGuide team headed over to Pebble Beach to pick up media credentials and when we got there we were shocked to see a massive Lotus display. With numerous vehicles on display (including the new Evora GT4 car) we quickly snapped a few photos of the Elise SC RGB special edition. The Pebble Beach Concours venue is the first time this car has been show.

The limited edition Elise was built to honor long-time (but now retired) Director of Vehicle Engineering, Roger George Becker, who dedicated 44 years of his life to developing Lotus vehicles. The RGB model comes full-loaded, offering most option packages and items like light-weight forged alloy wheels. All models will also get a numbered plaque and will be signed by Roger Becker.

Pricing for the Elise SC RGB edition is set at $57,950 while Lotus has also now confirmed the Exige S RGB for North America, priced at $70,750.

GALLERY: Lotus Elise SC RGB

As the collector car world gears up for the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 15, Alfa Romeo fans are looking forward to their favorite marque taking center stage. This year marks Alfa’s centennial and the event will include a display of some of the most rare and significant Alfa Romeo automobiles produced in the last 100 years; including seven that will make the trip all the way from  the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo in Arese, Italy.

Shown above is one of them, a 1938 8C 2900 B Lungo, which was the fastest and one of the most revered Grand Touring cars built prior to the outbreak of World War II. Also on display from the Museo Storico collection will be a 1938 Gran Premio Tipo 158 ‘Alfetta,’ an earlier version of the car that helped Giuseppe Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio, with the first and second ever Formula 1 world championships in 1950 and 1951 respectively.

Other privately owned Alfas on display will include a 1942 6C 2500 coupe by Bertone (one of 40 such cars ever built); a 1936 2900 Carrozzeria Spider – the only one left that still sports its original coachwork and a 1948 6C 2500 SS Competizione, the only survivor of three factory race cars built by Alfa. This particular SS, competed in the grueling Mille Miglia four times in a row, winning three races and finishing runner up five times during it’s competition career.

With Alfa set to return to these shores after an absence of almost two decades, perhaps there are few locations more fitting for celebrating the marque’s centennial that at Pebble Beach in 2010.

[Source: Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance]

Each August, the classic car world gears up for the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, near Monterey, California, where some of the finest automobiles in the world are exhibited. Given the value and condition of most of the vehicles invited each year, many are transported by enclosed carrier or even flown to the event. However, a sizeable number are actually driven. This year, one of the latter will be the car shown above –  a 1902 Mercedes-Benz Simplex; a machine that also bears the title of the oldest car currently in road worthy condition.

Powered by a 28 horsepower engine, the Simplex was built from 1902-09 and in many respects was one of the most advanced motor cars of its day, especially in terms of performance and hill climbing ability. This particular car, restored back in 1993 under the supervision of noted collector car specialist John Bentley, will be driven approximately 1,500 miles by Bentley, along with Arturo and Deborah Keller, as part of the annual Pebble Beach Motoring Classic. This road rally, now in its sixth year; starts in Seattle  on August 3 (nine days before the Concours) taking in sights such as Mount St. Helens and the Columbia River Gorge, before arriving at the Pebble Beach Golf Course in time for the Concours event. Given that the trip includes numerous inclines and twisting roads, it’s quite a feat to be undertaking it in a 108 year-old car with no roof.

[Source: Pebble Beach Concours]

As excitement for the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance grows in the run up to the August 14-15 weekend, more and more desirable cars are popping up for the event and the auctions held the same weekend. One of them is a stunning 1971 Lamborghini Miura S (similar to the car shown here), which will form part of Gooding & Company’s annual auction at Pebble Beach.

The Miura,styled by Marcello Gandini represents perhaps the finest expression of ’60s Italian super car style and it’s mid-engine design stole a lead on just about everybody else, including Ferrari. Built from 1966-71 it became a modern classic and today suriving Miuras still trade hands for considerable sums – the car up for grabs at the Gooding Auction is said to be worth between $500,000- $650,000 in it’s current condition.

Gooding’s theme at Monterey this year will be ‘significant examples of Italian performance and design’ and what could be more appropriate than a Miura S?

Other significant Italian machinery up for grabs include a 1955 Maserati AG6/54 Berlinetta with body by Zagato; a 1956 Maserati 200 SI once raced by Stirling Moss and a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT long wheelbase California Spider ‘Competizione’.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

The Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance is possibly the world’s most exclusive collector car show, attracting celebrities like Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld and Ralph Lauren. The venue is the perfect place for Porsche to show off its upcoming 918 Spyder, which has been all-but-confirmed for production.

Porsche is looking to find 1000 people to express interest in the 918 Spyder, and so far have garnered 900 on that list. Pebble Beach’s ultra-high-net worth patrons can surely yield that number, allowing Porsche to put their hybrid supercar flagship into a very limited production run. The 718 horsepower roadster will also be shown close to Silicon Valley, home of the Tesla roadster and many wealthy folks with environmentally conscious views.

[Source: Autocar]

Over August 13-14, during the prestigious Concours D’Elegance at Pebble Beach, Mecum Auctions will be hosting its event at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa in Monterey. And headlining will be this, a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT long wheelbase Tour de France. This particular car, (chassis number 1321) is significant in that, firstly, it’s un-restored and secondly, that it has racing pedigree. It won the gruelling Nurburgring 1000 km in 1959 and later that year finished third overall at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by Belgians Jean Blaton and Leon Dernier. The car has been meticulously maintained since its winning days and has seldom changed hands, the last owner purchasing the car sometime in the 1970s. Prior to being showcased at the Del Monte Golf Course recently, the last time it was seen in public was at Road America, almost two decades ago, so anticipation for the sale is particularly high.

Mecum’s Monterey auction is currently shaping up to be a memorable one. Dana Mecum, President of the auction house, stated, “the list of vehicles continues to grow for our upcoming auction and as a result, we’ve now expanded it to two days, as more than 400 investment grade collector cars, exotic vehicles and ultra rare boats are scheduled to cross the auction block.”  It will be interesting to see how 25o GT Tour de France (chassis# 1321) will fare, especially given that high profile vintage Ferraris (especially those with significant racing pedigree) tend to go for serious money at the Monterey auctions.

[Source: Mecum Auctions]

You can be as baller as you want with a Bugatti Veyron, but there’s always someone else out there who will outdo you. In this case, it’s the Mullin Automotive Museum, who just purchased a Bugatti Atlantic Type 57SC for an enormous sum, between $30-$40 million. This easily bests the previous record holder, a 1961 Ferrari 250GT California Spyder, formerly owned by Hollywood actor James Coburn, which sold for roughly $12 million.

Of the four Atlantics built, only two have survived, with the other belonging to the car collection of fashion designer Ralph Lauren. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Leslie Kendall, the curator of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles said that the sale is a milestone for the collector car market.

“People will start paying attention,” she said. “It’s should be obvious that there are connoisseurs out there who appreciate cars just as much as they do art, fine wine, furniture and sculpture.”

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

AutoGuide was one of the few media outlets that posted live coverage of the Bentley Mulsanne’s unofficial debut at the Pebble Beach Concour d’Elegance, but the regal British automaker wasn’t willing to cough up any details. Now that the car has been officially unveiled, we have some info - but not all of it.

Bentley has hidden all the tasty tid-bits of info about the Mulsanne deep in its press release, preferring to boast about how there are 114 different paint colors to choose from and how it takes nine weeks to complete a car.

But we know you want the hard numbers, so here goes. The Mulsanne, like the Arnage it replaces, uses a 6.75 liter V8 engine. The new engine has, however, been completely reworked with light weight pistons, con-rods and a forged crankshaft. Power is an expected 505hp, while torque rises impressively to 752 ft-lbs – which is available from just 1800 rpm.

Bentley has made big promises in the fuel economy department (even if its customers don’t care), and has equipped the Mulsanne with a new 8-speed automatic transmission. Fuel-consumption is down by 15 percent – in part due to the engine’s ability to run on just four cylinders while cruising.

Actual fuel consumption numbers have not yet been provided. Nor has the flagship Bentley’s curb weight.

Additional highlights include an air suspension with variable dampers four settings: Bentley, Sport, Comfort and Custom.

As for wheels, the Mulsanne comes with 20-inchers but we’re certain most owners will opt for the 21-inch set.

We’ll be sure to update you when more info is available, but in the mean time take a gander at the second Mulsanne to roll our of the Crewe factory. Not only are we liking the car more each time we see it, sitting amongst pedestrian vehicles from VW, Skoda and Seat, we really had a chance to appreciate just how enormous this new model is.

GALLERY: 2010 Bentley Mulsanne

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Technically speaking, Bentley already unveiled its Arnage successor at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, but the regal British automaker was tight-lipped about any specifics.

Details of the new Mulsanne will be unveiled tomorrow (September 15th) at the Frankfurt Auto Show, where we expect to learn about the impressive fuel-economy improvements Bentley has made with this new model. About all we do know is that the Mulsanne, much like the Arnage, is powered by a 6.75-liter V8. The engine has been reworked almost entirely, however, and we expect this model to be able to run on ethanol as well as gasoline. And of course, the engine’s power output will increase as well.

The design is certainly impressive with a massive front grille with huge circle headlights and lots of chrome.

As for the car’s name, it comes from the same place as the Arnage – France’s famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, Circuit de la Sarthe race track. On that track the Mulsanne straight is actually two straights, which have been divided up with a chicane so as to limit the overall speed that race cars can achieve. Modern racers have to slow from over 200 mph to 65 mph to run the chicane, before taking to the second-half of the straight.

GALLERY: 2010 Bentley Mulsanne

When Bentley unveiled its new Mulsanne flagship at the Pebble Beach Cncours d’Elegance, CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen announced that the very same car (chassis #1) would then be auctioned off to the highest bidder at the Gooding & Co. auction.

No doubt valued at a quarter of a million dollars, the newest Bentley went for just double that number, somewhat lower than we might have expected. It almost went for less, however, as the starting price of $500,000 didn’t find any offers at first. The starting value was then placed at $300,000, which finally found its way back up to the half a million dollar mark thanks a a phone bidder.

Perhaps the “low” value had to do with the fact that Bentley is keeping tight-lipped about all the details regarding the Mulsanne until its official debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

All the proceedes of the auction went to the official charitable organization of the Concours, the Phil Hill Foundation.

GALLERY: 2010 Bentley Mulsanne

[Source: Autoblog]

While the real stars of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance are the vintage autos, the Concept Lawn is a special place where future show-stoppers are put on display. While some of the models are actually concepts, many are rare coachbuilt models and a few are full-production cars.

In the concept category there was the luxury convertible plug-in hybrid, the Fisker Sunset, as well as the absolutely stunning Infiniti Essence Concept - a hybrid in it’s own right, making 600hp thanks to a 440hp twin-turbo direct-injection 3.7-liter V6 and a 160hp electric motor.

Included in the list of Coachbuilt creations was the edgy Corvette ZR1-based Stile Bertone Mantide. This is no kit car, however, as the vehicle was designed by Jason Castriota, the man who also penned the Pininfarina P4/5. Plus, it weights 220 lbs less than the ZR1 for even more performance.

Also on display was the Devon GTX (pictured above), arguably the arch-nemesis of the Mantide, as it is based on the Dodge Viper. With a more shapely body than the Mantide, the 650hp GTX is scheduled to attempt to set a new fastest lap time at the Nürburgring. No doubt there’s some ego involved in this announcement as Devon attempted to buy Viper from Chrysler but the deal was never completed.

In the production category cars ranged from the reasonably well priced (Lotus Evora) to the ridiculous (Bugatti Sang Bleu). The four-seater Lotus is scheduled to be released early next year, while the ultra-limited edition Bugatti is based on the convertible Grand Sport model. Other production or near production models included the Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder, V-10 powered Audi R8, the 750hp carbon-chassis Aston Martin One-77, a Morgan, the all-new 510hp 2010 Jaguar XJL Supersport, the Mercedes-McLaren SLR Stirling Moss and the Rolls-Royce EX200, aka, the Ghost. And who could forget the misplaced SMS 570X Dodge Challenger.

GALLERY: Pebble Beach Concept Lawn

The prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Best of Show award went to the 1937 Horch 853 Voll & Ruhrbeck Sport Cabriolet. The car belongs to Bob Lee, who won the award in 2006 with a 1931 Daimler Double Six Corsica Drophead Coupe.

The Horch company was started in Germany in 1899 by August Horch, although Horch the auto manufacturer didn’t start until 1909. 

Horch was later unified with three other auto makers (Audi, DKW and Wanderer) to form Auto Union, or what is today known as Audi. In fact, Horch is the Latin translation of Horch.

GALLERY: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2009 Best of Show, 1937 Horch 853 Voll & Ruhrbeck Sport Cabriolet

There’s just no way to truly experience the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance without attending the show. But for those who can’t be there and feel the breeze blow in off the Pacific Ocean while sipping Champagne and admiring some of the most beautiful and expensive cars ever made, we have assembled this photo gallery. 

Below is a selection of just a small portion of the amazing automotive masterpieces on display at the 2009 concours, including classic Bentleys, Ferrari motorsports legends, Bugattis and some of our favorites, the Duesenbergs.

Among the Ferraris in attendance included 10 1949 166 MM Touring Barchettas and all four remaining TR 59 race cars. Some of the more prestigious Bentleys included the early 3 Litre car, the Birkin Blower race cars and three record setting Speed Sixes.

GALLERY: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2009

There couldn’t be a more perfect venue to debut the latest Bentley product and successor to the fabulously-regal Arnage than the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Accompanied by bagpipers, the “Grand Bentley”, now officially named the Mulsanne, drove up on to the awards show platform – a stage many Bentleys have graced before.

Many past Bentleys have taken their names from the famous Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans race track and this Bentley is no different. Whereas the previous Bentley flagship, the Arnage, was named for a tight corner, this car is named after both a corner and a straight. On the long Mulsanne straight race cars have to slow from over 200mph to 65mph, then run through the a tight chicane and down the second half of the straight.

Bentley is keeping tight-lipped about much of the rest of the details of its new flagship until its auto show debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September.

What we do know is that it will continue to use a twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V8 engine that has almost been completely redesigned to no doubt make even more horsepower and torque while using less fuel.

As for the design of the car, it’s as familiar as the engine, with a massive flat nose, huge circle headlights and plenty of chrome.

GALLERY: 2010 Bentley Mulsanne

Battered and bruised, Lexus had on display one of the two LF-A race cars that competed at this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hour race. We’re left to assume this isn’t the model that caught fire during the grueling endurance car race.

The showing of the car is surprising considering Lexus didn’t exactly hang with the best. Still, it did manage an impressive 7:13 lap time in the ‘almost stock’ class, meaning we should expect the production model to deliver impressive performance.

When it does finally make its way to the street, the LF-A will be powered by a 550hp V10, capable of a top speed of 218 mph. The production model is expected to debut at the Tokyo Auto Show this Fall.

The LF-A marks a new direction for Lexus, moving outside its luxury comfort zone and into the territory of exotics. Importantly, one of the two LF-A racers at the Nürburgring was piloted by Toyota’s newly appointed CEO Akio Toyoda.

GALLERY: Lexus LF-A Race Car

After its world debut at the Geneva Auto Show last March, Aston Martin has kept its One-77 supercar under wraps, until now. Making its U.S. debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, we had a chance to get more familiar with the car at a private event the night before.

When Aston first announced that this flagship supercar would have  carbon chassis and an aluminum body we thought perhaps the PR folks had reversed the order of what they meant to say. But they didn’t.

Feeling like a pure-bred track car, the carbon chassis is exposed as soon as you open the door with carbon side sills and carbon floors. In fact, the driver sits surrounded by the light-weight material. The carbon fiber monocoque, as it’s called, is the same sort of carbon frame used in a Formula 1 car. Aston Martin has combined this high-technology chassis with traditional coachbuilding practices including hand-rolling the aluminum body panels. All this light weight material helped to keep the supercar’s weight down to just 3,300 lbs.

Significant attention was paid to the vehicle’s aerodynamics, and one of Aston’s product experts let us in on an interesting bit of technology found just behind the front fender. Air ducts found there will actually close mechanically at high speeds (around 150 mph) to help reduce lift. Along with a subtle front splitter and massive rear diffuser, the One-77 will gets hidden rear spoiler that pops up at speeds above 100mph.

The motorsorts technology continues elsewhere in the One-77 with a suspension setup similar to a true race car, with horizontal shocks, as opposed to vertical ones. Aston even designed the rear of the car so this setup is visible through the rear glass.

Amazingly, while the One-77 doesn’t look excessively large, it is actually 2 meters wide (5.56 feet). That is wider than a Lamborghini Murciélago! 

Additional racing technology can be found under the hood, where a 7.3-liter V12 engine, topped off with carbon fiber intake manifolds, makes an incredible 750hp.

As the name suggests, just 77 versions of the One-77 will be hand built at a cost of $1.8 million.

GALLERY: Aston Martin One-77

Jaguar’s new XJ flagship made its U.S. debut today during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, with pricing announced for the first time. Introductory XJ models will start at $72,500 with the high-powered XJL Supersport listing at a substantial $115,00.

All XJ models are powered by a version of Jaguar’s new 5.0-liter direct-injection V8 engine, with the standard XJ putting out 385hp and 380 ft-lbs of torque. Opting for an extended wheelbase model (XJL) will up the base price to $79,500.

XJ Supercharged models, which make 470hp and 424 ft-lbs of torque, will retail for $87,500, with extended wheelbase models just $3,000 more.

As for the top-level XJ Supersport, it starts at $112,000 and adds $3,000 for the extended wheelbase model. Impressively, this model makes 510hp and 461 ft-lbs of torque from a more potent supercharged 5.0 V8, helping it to hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.

Acceleration for all models is up significantly over the outgoing model with Supercharged models making 18 percent more power and the base engine making the largest improvement with 28 percent more power. Also helping acceleration is a sophisticated all-aluminum chassis, ensuring that the XJ is at least 300 lbs lighter than competitors from BMW and Mercedes.

And make no mistake, the 2010 Jaguar, currently reserved for the straw-hat type, is now aimed squarely at a wider (and younger) market, a part of a new move by its Indian owner Tata Motors to increase market share and product volumes.

GALLERY: 2010 Jaguar XJ

The best thing about the DBS Volante is that, top down, you can more thoroughly appreciate the sound of the Aston’s viciously powerful V12 engine.

In town for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Aston Martin had a selection of DBS Volante’s on hand and invited AutoGuide to test out the latest Bond car in Monterey – one of the few places in the world that can make even Monte Carlo look middle-class.

Blasting through the Northern California hills we’re happy to report that due to the DBS’s already extra-potent V12 engine, the added weight in the convertible model doesn’t effect performance… not that you can feel anyway. Making 510hp and 420 ft-lbs of torque it will hit 62 mph in 4.3 seconds… ever-so-slightly slower than the coupe.

One reason for this is that Aston kept the weight gain to a minimum, with a total curb weight of 3,990 lbs. – roughly 250 lbs more then the coupe. That might seem like quite a bit at first but many convertibles, especially hard-top ones, can weigh as much as 500 lbs more than their coupe counterparts. Aston chose the soft top to keep the weight low and retain a useable amount of trunk space. We should also point out that the sub-4,000 lb curb weight is actually very good for a full-sized grand tourer.

And rather than just cut the top off, Aston redesigned the DBS with a new line that runs along the entire length of the car and a new decklid spoiler.

The DBS Volante is one of the few vehicles on the road that’s as nice to look at as it is to drive.

For a full run-down on the DBS Volante be sure to check out our Reviews section later this week. For now we’ll just list some initial impressions:

LOVE IT:

-Intoxicating exhaust note

-Looks that thrill

-No real performance loss on drop-top 

LEAVE IT:

-Annoying backwards gauges

-Tiny gear indicator

GALLERY: 201 Aston Martin DBS Volante

One of six 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupes set a record at the Mecum Auction today in Monterey, California, fetching a bid of $7.25 million. The price is the highest amount ever paid for an American car at auction. Mecum’s auction took place at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa on the Del Monte Golf Course, just one of many such auctions occurring around the Pebble Beach Concurs d’Elegance.

The Cobra Coupe, CSX2601, is one of just six models build by Carroll Shelby to compete against the dominating Ferraris in the FIA World Manufacturers Championship. This particular car captured the World Manufacturers Championship in 1965 in Reims, France with legendary racer Bob Bondurant behind the wheel.

Bondurant was on-hand today and drove the Cobra Coupe onto the auction block in Monterey.

“This hand-built car beat the fastest cars in the world and has now added another ‘win’ to its list of accomplishments. It certainly finished in record form again,” said Dana Mecum, president of Mecum Auction.

“Truly the best part about auctioning the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe has been sharing the stories of its amazing history with millions of people across the country. This race car’s greatest moments and its legacy as America’s world champion will be cherished for generations to come. 

GALLERY: 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe 

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Tomorrow at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, for the first time Porsche will show off its new Panamera model to the public. Today, Porsche invited AutoGuide to take the controversially-styled Gran Turismo out for a spin on the winding Northern California roads that surround that world-famous golf course.

At 9 a.m. I’m stretching the Panamera’s legs on a nearly-deserted stretch of California’s Pacific Coastal Highway. With a 4.8-liter V8 generating 400hp and 369 ft-lbs of torque mated to a wickedly-quick seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission, I’m attacking the curves and blasting down the straits, completely oblivious to the fact that this is a four-door. It sure doesn’t feel like it.

While Porsche’s Cayenne is excellent… for an SUV, the same philosophy isn’t true of the Panamera. It’s not good… for a four-door. It’s just damn good.

The handling is superb with a chassis that doesn’t know the meaning of body roll. And yet the suspension soaks up bumps in the road. It also does an amazing job of keeping the car planted on the ground, as I discovered after hitting a dip in the road at some serious speed. As I popped out the other end of the dip, it actually felt like the suspension sucked the car back to the asphalt.

The steering is precise and direct, like any Porsche. The throttle and brake are responsive and the brakes provide excellent initial bite… like any Porsche. I experienced absolutely no understeer and even with the traction and stability control nannies on, there’s still plenty of room for fun. And the naturally aspirated V8 delivers bountiful amounts of linear power. 

Inside, the cockpit is truly incredible. With Porsche’s motorsports background and a long history of sports cars, it’s no surprise that the interior of pretty much every model up until now has followed a more basic philosophy. The Panamera, however, is a luxurious oasis, and yet maintains a true Porsche sports car feel. With supple leather coating almost every surface, the Panamera also features solid aluminum trim pieces and (on my model) Teneo wood. And for the first time, possibly ever, I have to say I not only liked the wood trim, but loved it. Instead of plastic-looking overly-lacquered wood, this stuff has more of a matte treatment, giving it a genuine organic look.

There are a lot of buttons, knobs and switches inside, which Porsche PR boss Gary Fong says was a conscious decision. Porsche would rather opt for more easy-to-use buttons, than have drivers hunting through an information system to find what they’re looking for.

I was happy to see a simple-to-use touch screen navigation system and was impressed with the redundant screen located inside the main instrument cluster, meaning a driver doesn’t have to look far to see what’s next on the map.

Now because the Panamera is a four-door, it’s necessary to dedicate a little copy to those two back seats. Equally as sporting as the front ones, there is more than enough room for my long-legged 6’1″ frame, directly behind the driver’s seat – which I had just been sitting in.

My solitary critique of the Panamera remains a big one; the car’s design. Straight on, it’s fabulous, but once you start to see that bulging rear, it’s hard not to shake your head and wonder how the designers came up with it, and how that look made it all the way to production. There are two ways to look at it: the first is to think that it’s a shame that a car that performs so spectacularly well looks so strange; the second is to overlook the oddness and appreciate the drive, which I most certainly did.

You can’t even complain about the price. Sure it starts at a fraction under $90,000, but when put into perspective, a Carrera S will run you $80,000 and the Panamera delivers the same quantity of thrills… which you can now share with not just one, but three passengers.

GALLERY: 2010 Porsche Panamera S

Earlier this week Hyundai announced that it would launch the company’s Korean market Equus flagship right here in the U.S. And to help promote the car, Hyundai decided to show-off a few examples of its top-tier luxury sedan at one of the world’s most high-profile automotive events: the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

While in town to cover the concours, Hyundai invited AutoGuide along for a ride to experience some of what the Equus is all about. Test drives aren’t allowed as the cars on display are Korean prototype models (complete with Korean navigation systems and gauges in km/h) so we had to settle for being chauffeured around, which one could argue, is really the best way to experience the Equus.

Designed to compete with the world’s best, the Equus is based on the Genesis Sedan platform but is a good deal larger.

At 74.8-inches wide, it’s thicker than an S-Class or Lexus LS. The wheelbase is relatively short for this type of vehicle at 119.9-inches and with an overall length of 203.1-inches (just slightly longer than the long wheelbase LS460), don’t expect it to handle like a BMW 750i. Then again, that’s not what vehicles like this were meant for.

Inside is where the real treats are, with every imaginable luxury available. Yes, we’re talking about massaging and reclining rear seats, seat-back mounted flip up tables, LCD screen DVD players and even a fridge. The Equus also gets heated and cooled seats and privacy shades for the back and side-rear windows. One feature we particularly liked was that the side window shades pop up by pulling on the power window switch a second time – which reduces the overall number of buttons and switches in the cabin. In fact, we were surprised by the limited number of cabin-cluttering switches. Another notable feature is the fact that the front passenger seat can be adjusted from an armrest console in the rear – presumably for the comfort and convenience of executive types riding in the back.

The interior materials are definitely high quality, although not quite what you might find in a Lexus LS. Then again, the interior of the BMW 750 isn’t quite what you’d find in a Lexus either. The excessive amount of wood trim certainly isn’t one of our favorite parts, but the genuine Suede headliner is.

Equus drivers will be able to appreciate high-tech features like a back-up camera (and front-facing camera), a blind spot monitoring system, active cruise control, a 528-watt 17-speaker Lexicon audio system and an adjustable air-ride suspension. Hyundai marketing boss Joel Ewanick said that by the time the Equus makes its way to the U.S. the suspension will receive a few tweaks. Normally this means “softening,” but Ewanick surprised us by saying that it will actually be made slightly stiffer than what is offered in Korea.

Under the hood the 2011 Equus gets the same 4.6-liter V8 found in the top-level Genesis Sedan. Making 375hp it should deliver a 0-60 mph time of just over six seconds, with a quarter mile time in the low 14s.

That’s definitely off the pace of both the German and Japanese competition, but you can be sure the Equus won’t cost like a German or Japanese luxury sedan either. Official pricing won’t be released for a while yet, but with the Lexus LS starting at $63,000, you can be sure the Equus will come in under that. A sub-$60,000 price tag isn’t out of the question.

When asked about the possibility of the U.S. Equus being offered with the (rumored) 5.0-liter V8, Hyundai PR boss Jim Trainor said that the focus for now is going to be on the 4.6.

Set to hit the market as a 2011 model, the Equus will go on sale in late 2010. Look for an official debut next April at the 2010 New York Auto Show.

So with the future of the Equus in the U.S seemingly set, there are a few remaining question marks. For starters, the name. Hyundai says it is considering a name change and we wouldn’t be surprised to see one.

Another question you might have is: what about that hood ornament? Sorry to say, the brand-focused marketing folks have decided to axe the ostentatious winged creature (or whatever it is) in favor of a flush-mounted symbol. Those interested will, however, be able to get the hood ornament as a dealer installed option.

The final question for both Hyundai and the Equus is: how will it be received? Quite well, we think.

Trainor says the company has humble goals of just a few thousand units and with changing perceptions about the brand (thanks to the Genesis sedan and coupe) the Equus now offers Hyundai the chance to leapfrog established luxury brands, like Acura.

GALLERY: 2011 Hyundai Equus